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Enhance Your Application Writing Skills
Esita SogotubuEmployability Manager
Career Programs Team
At the end of this session you will be able to answer
application questions in 5 easy steps!
Step 1: De-mystify the Selection Criteria on the position description or the job add
Step 2: Identify your most relevant skills
Step 3: Research Research!
Step: 3 Craft your answers
Step 4: Practice
Stand out from the crowd
Positive Teamwork Moments – an experience that sparks JOY
All: Take 3 minutes to think or write down your own positive teamwork experience on the Positive Teamwork Moments handout
Activity
Refer to the Positive Teamwork Moments handout
Positive Teamwork Moments –something that sparks JOY
Student 1: Share your positive teamwork moment
Student 2: Let Student 1 know what skills or attributes you found about them in their positive moment
2 minutes each
Swap roles and repeat
Activity
Self Awareness
WHY WOULD CONSIDERING THESE BE IMPORTANT IN A JOB SEARCH?
SKILLS
VALUES
PERSONALITY INTERESTS
Know your fit
When you have a strong sense of self awareness:
• Increase application success by applying for jobs that match your skills
• Find jobs that are relevant to your future career goals
• Use part-time work as opportunities to refine skills
• Answer interview questions better
In order to evaluate the suitability of certain jobs, it is important to know who you are as a person
How can you develop greater self awareness?
Look at yourself objectively
Think about the words most used by trusted friends/family to describe
you
Ask for feedback from work or university colleagues
Other ways?
Career Assessments
Abintegro
Australian Career Guide
Job Outlook
Job Applications
• Some organisations ask candidates to answer motivational and logistical questions as a part of the application process
• This is will be in addition to your cover letter, resume & portfolio
• Often hiring managers/recruiters will review these answers before moving onto the resume and cover letter
• Often included on online job bards such as www.seek.com and applicant tracking system that you sign up to via the organisations website
• Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) will scan these answers for key words relating to the role, often found in the responsibility statements within the position description
Applicant Tracking System Example
Briefly describe your motivation in applying, highlight what skills, experience, training or
qualifications you bring to this role.
Applicant Tracking System Example
Applicant Tracking System Example
Reflecting on our values, provide an example where you feel you have best demonstrated one
of these values in the workplace.
Applicant Tracking System Example
Applicant Tracking System Example
Home > Personal details > Introduction > About You > Roles, Values and Behaviours Alignment
> Uploads > Pre Employment Security Checks > Application Declaration > Submit
Application Process
Step 1: De-mystify the Selection Criteria on the position description or the job add
Competency Based Question Requiring an Example
• Demonstrated knowledge - Provide specific examples that 'prove' or 'demonstrate' that you have performed the task or skill
• Demonstrated ability - Do not need to have done this work/task before, but you need to describe how your skills, knowledge and experience show that you are capable of doing the work/task
• Experience - you need to provide examples of where you have done this work before
• Effective, Proven, Highly Developed, Superior- Relevant examples of your skill level, knowledge and experience
• Describe - Provide a specific example using descriptive language to provide evidence of the competency
• Understanding - more than knowledge! Requires comprehension.
Briefly describe your motivation in applying, highlight what skills, experience, training or
qualifications you bring to this role.
Applicant Tracking System Example > Competency Based Question
Requiring an Example
Motivational Questions
What is your motivation for X opportunity?
Why do you want to apply for X opportunity?
What makes your interested in X opportunity?
Self-Assessment Question
Strengths
Weaknesses
Skill level
Step 2: Identify your most relevant skills to the opportunity
DECODE THE GTA PROGRAM BRIEF
IDENTIFY • Soft skills
• Technical skills
• Other important details
What is the Global Trade Accelerator Program?
What is the
Global Trade
Accelerator
Program?
2 week work-integrated learning program facilitated by Practera, in partnership with UTS. The program is supported by Study NSW other corporate partners.
Program dates: Monday, 27 May to Friday, 7 June
Contribution time: a minimum of 25 hours during the 2-week timeframe
Work in a team with other students from UTS to produce a market research / market analysis project
Respond to the export brief provided by a NSW exporter / trade professional
Online project through the Practera learning platform
A real workplace project
Program Contacts2. Program Provider
Practera1. Education Institution
University of Technology Sydney
3. Exporter
Your allocated NSW Trade
Organisation
4. Your Student Team
In student teams, you will act as
‘Business Consultants’ for your
Exporter (NSW Trade Organisation)
• Manage application process
• Facilitate Welcome & Closing
Sessions (Mandatory)
• Contact: Prajyana Kumar,
Employability Coordinator, Careers
Programs Team, UTS Careers
• Match student teams and exporter
via student applications and
organisation export areas
• Facilitate 2-week program via their
digital portal built on the Practera
platform.
• Ensure student teams progress
through project in due time
• Complete an online market research
project for allocated Exporter
• Upload research, ideas and team
deliverables
• Receive peer & mentor feedback
• Create exporter/project brief
• Act as virtual mentor through
Practera platform
• Review team submissions
• Provide feedback when prompted
via pre-defined ‘star’ rating system
Step 2: Research Research Research!
Applicant Tracking System Example – Why Research is important
About us
Reconciliation Plan
Applicant Tracking System Example – Why Research is important
Links:
Global Trade Accelerator Program
If there isn’t much detail provided in your brief, job add or position description expand your research:
1. Online search engines
2. LinkedIn – can you connect with students who previously completed the program for an information interview?
3. Google Practera, StudyNSW – attention to detail on website or job advert
Step 3: Craft your answers
Competency-based Question Requiring Evidence/Example
Structure: Statement of claims > Example > Link to
opportunity
• I have well developed [insert skill/competency] as demonstrated [insert example]
• My [insert skill/competency] are well developed as evident by [insert example]
• My well developed [insert skill/competency] are demonstrated by [insert example]
• I have extensive experience in [insert skill/competency]. An example of this is [insert example]
• An example of my well developed [insert skill/competency] is [insert example]
What should you consider when choosing examples?
• Recent, relevant and specific
• Employment Extra-curricular University
• Convey complexities to provide specific evidence of a real experience
• Avoid talking about a hypothetical situation – link to past example
• You can structure your examples using the STAR technique - please refer to
your handout
Past experiences are an indicator of future behaviour
Competency Based Question Requiring Evidence/Example
Mission Australia: Briefly describe your motivation in applying, highlight what skills,
experience, training or qualifications you bring to this role.
Applicant Tracking System Example > Competency-based Question
Requiring an Example
HOW WOULD YOU IMPROVE THIS?
“If I had to communicate with a customer I would…”
Tip: Avoid framing your answers like you are obliged to do these things rather than willing.
Better answer: “When communicating with customers, I ensure…”
“At university I had to do a group assignment and work in a team.
I always achieved credit or above in group assignments”
Tip: Be specific. Provide details and elaborate about a specific experience.
Better answer: “Last semester I worked on a group project where we had to
design a social media strategy for a fashion business. [elaborate on project] …
We received a distinction for this project”
HOW WOULD YOU IMPROVE THIS?
“I don’t have experience in that area as I haven’t worked in it”
Tip: While this is sometimes the case, remain eager to learn.
Better answer: “Although I don’t yet have experience in this area, I am a fast
learner and always eager to learn new skills.”
HOW WOULD YOU IMPROVE THIS?
Motivational Questions
Your Experience
Provide an overview
• Current employment, extra-
curricular or study
• Previous employment, extra-
curricular or study
• Future aspirations
• Chose experience that is recent,
relevant and specific
Your Motivation
• Professional
interests/passions
• What you competencies
can offer and what you
are looking to develop?
• What do you care about?
The Opportunity
Demonstrate your understanding
of the opportunity from the
research you have done:
• Role/project objective
• Values
Link Link
GTA Motivational Question
What is your motivation for wanting to participate in this program?
GTA Motivational Question
Your Experience
Provide an overview
• Current employment, extra-
curricular or study
• Previous employment, extra-
curricular or study
• Future aspirations
• Chose experience that is recent,
relevant and specific
Your Motivation
• Professional
interests/passions
• What you competencies
can offer and what you
are looking to develop?
• What do you care about?
GTA
Demonstrate your understanding
of GTA from the research you
have done:
• Project objective
Link Link
What is your motivation for wanting to participate in this program?
Competency
• How can you be good at
the competency?
The Opportunity
How will that competency be used
in the opportunity?
Your Contribution
What are your relevant strengths?
Do you have past experience that
is relevant that you can mention?
Positive Self-Assessment Question
GTA: What skills or contributions do you believe you could make
to a team and why?
Self-Assessment Question
Step 4: Let’s Practice
Activity
5 minutes
1. Competency: Team work
• How can you be good at teamwork?
2. The Opportunity: GTA
• How is teamwork important in GTA?
3. Your Contribution
• Share your individual strengths relating to team work
• Share past experience that is relevant that you can mention
In groups of 5 discuss and take notes:
Nominate 1 person that will present your answers to
question 1 and 2 and share their own response to question 3
Managing expectations
Checklist
Understand/de-mystify the question
Check spelling and grammar – read your answer out loud, get someone else to
review it, use spell check in MS Word before the system, UTS HELPS
Use descriptive language
Understand the brief
Use your initiative to do additional research
Link your responses to the opportunity (including additional research) and yourself
Provide specific and relevant examples
Keep to word limit – if none is provided generally aim for 250 words
Increase your self-awareness
APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN!
We welcome you to reapply for the upcoming
round of the Global Trade Accelerator Program!
Program Dates
Welcome Session (Mandatory)
Wednesday 22 May, 10:00am
3 hour face to face workshop at UTS
Self-directed group work in student teams
Monday 27 May to Friday 7 June
A minimum of 25 hours’ time commitment
Student teams to negotiate communication/ meeting medium/frequency
Closing Session (Mandatory)
Friday 14 June, 11:30am to 1:30pm
2 hour face to face workshop at UTS
Application Details
Questions are the same as the last round
Deadline: Sunday 19 May, 11.59PM
Form link: https://careerhub.uts.edu.au/Form.aspx?id=5054386
Services & Resources • Careers Drop-in
• Careers Consultations
• Workshops and Meet-ups
• Employer events, networking and careers fairs
• Work-ready programs
• Career Hub jobs board
• Helpful online resources
Contact
careers.uts.edu.auWebsite